My True Face

One of the keys to freedom in life is when we finally understand that all our troubles are rooted in selfishness, born of thinking that we can show the world one face while hiding our true feelings and motives. Somehow we convince ourselves that our thoughts are separate from God, that He does not know what we are thinking, that only when I speak or act will He be aware or even pay attention. In light of what we now know about the Presence of God, this thinking is weak at best and downright delusional at its worst. The natural outcome of this thought process is to shut us off from the sunlight of the spirit as surely as burying our head in the sand cuts us off from sunlight and air.

I need to get a little personal here, so please forgive me. When this truth hit me years ago it sent me into a tail spin. All those things that I thought I had so neatly hid from God, in truth had been always open to Him. Fortunately I was saved, though new to the path at the time I had learned enough to know that I would be forgiven as soon as I asked, that the only unforgivable sin is to turn ones back on God and deny Him, and that sin is erased as soon as we turn to Him with an open mind and heart. As the truth and import of this rolled over me I found myself on my knees, asking God to remove from me my illusions that there is anything about me that He does not know or is separate from Him.

This marked the point in my life when “forgive us our trespasses” from the Lord’s Prayer became truly known to me. I began to accept His forgiveness in my life that day and the process of understanding how important it is to truly forgive others began and though this happened years ago, its lesson is as fresh today as then. Shalom.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Four Agreements, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

There Is No Spiritual Savings and Loan

There Is No Spiritual Savings and Loan

Lamentably many hold to the false belief that we can save up spiritual good will that can then be drawn on later when we "mess up" or sin. For the life of me I cannot find a branch of that spiritual bank in my neighborhood. When pressed on who opened this bank and what’s required to open an account, the usual response is “God and prayer.” When it is pointed out that this runs contrary to the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray for our “daily bread”, most freeze up in much the same way my computer does when I open too many windows. To be clear: Prayer has power, but we negate that power when we pray one way but fail to hold in our heart the essence of the prayer. To pray the Lord’s Prayer but believe that somewhere, somehow we can save up for ourselves spiritually to address future problems strips all meaning from the prayer. If we hold to the belief that we have some form of spiritual savings account, then “daily bread” is unnecessary so why ask for it?

The Old Testament first taught this truth when God provided manna for those following Moses out of Egypt. Those wandering in the wilderness were told that heaven would provide for their daily needs but on no account were they to save or horde it for what was dynamic today would turn inedible, even poisonous tomorrow. Having been honest, selfless, loving and forthright yesterday means little if today we are dishonest, selfish, hateful or devious. Living on yesterday’s demonstrations; even though they provide valuable experience, leads to futility and ultimate failure. Today is the day to demonstrate God’s presence, in so doing we receive Our Daily Bread.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Four Agreements, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

Free Will, God's Will

Free Will, God's Will

 “God has a plan for every man, and he has one for you” that plan is your “Heart’s Desire.”  Our only real job, once we understand our Divine heritage, is to identify our Heart’s Desire, placing the full weight of our consciousness to this task in gentle prayer and meditation. Emmet Fox wrote: “If you only can find out that one thing that God intends you to do, and will do it, you will find that all doors will open to you, and you will be gloriously happy.” What sets man apart from all of the rest of God’s creatures is free will; we choose the path we walk. The Zebra, the Dolphin and the Eagle are born, live and die fully expressing their essential nature, never questioning their purpose or concerned with being anything other than what they are. Only man creates, strives to be more and know more because of our unique relationship to God, since God is in fact “Our Father” in every sense.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Four Agreements, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

Claiming Our Daily Bread